Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Pudding was one of the things we "made" as kids. Sure, it came out of a square box and you just added milk, but it was "cooking" to us kids.

Now that I'm grown up, I make it from scratch.

But, today, I just wish I could be a kid again.

Because then my friend, Lisa would live 5 houses down the street and we would play all the time. Sleep overs. Picking pill bugs in the garden. Forming clubs...complete with membership cards in the backyard clubhouse.

Lisa and I went to separate colleges and would lose touch for stretches of time over the years. Last May, I called her dad and got her phone number in Minnesota. As it has always been in our lives, we picked up like we just saw each other last week. I wished her happy birthday, and she was filled with news! She was in school getting her Master's degree, her four kids were healthy and happy, and she was engaged to a her college friend. After an uneventful one date in college, they reconnected after all these years.

Then, after a few emails and our usual promises of keeping in touch again, time just flew by...

Today, I learned that she has Stage 2 breast cancer. She's had surgery and will start chemo in seven days.

I'm in shock and sad. And guilty that I didn't know sooner and worked harder to keep in touch. Sometimes, I know more about people in my "blogging" world than someone I've known since the 2nd grade.

Grown up stuff like breast cancer can suck it. Today, I need pudding and to think about my friend Lisa and memories of us riding our bikes to school and walking to Winchell's donuts. My friend Lisa is a fighter and she'll be wearing a pink survivor shirt soon enough. I know she is surrounded by a wonderful family and community of friends. And she will always have a friend here in Los Angeles.

Oh yeah, that nice guy from college? He married her as soon as he found out. So congratulations Lisa and Jason on your recent nuptials...and kick this cancer in the butt.

I only made 1/4 of the recipe. I used milk chocolate for the ganache and it came out a bit hard (my 1/4 measurements may have been off too). I made the vanilla pudding using just a whisk and skipped the food processor. I sifted the cornstarch and salt mixture instead of food processing it. The small amount was fine with a whisk, but if I make the full recipe, I'm going for the food processor. It only too a few minutes for the pudding to thicken.

I am sure she would love your pudding, and be touched with your remembrances of childhood, the pudding in particular. These look wonderful - what a fitting and perfect dessert - pudding IS so nostalgic, no matter what era.

I am so very sorry to hear about your friend's diagnosis. I will keep her in my prayers, and you, too. When I first graduated from college, I worked in a doctor's office with a very large number of breast cancer patients. It's a scary disease, but I was so impressed with the strength and fortitude of so many patients. Good luck to Lisa in her treatment, I hope she kicks the cancer in the butt.

My heart goes out to both you and your friend - I'm gonna bet that if she's anything like you, she's a fighter and will kick this thing quicker than you can even imagine. In the meantime, some pudding to make the years rewind back to simpler times is always a good thing, right?

so sorry to hear this. sounds like you and lisa have the kind of friendship where, even if you loose touch from time to time, she knows you will always care about her very much...the two of you are lifetime clubmembers.

It is always sad to hear of friends or loved ones who are ill. And it's worst when we realized we never made too much of an effort to keep in touch. It's happened to me before. I guess we can only pray that Lisa gets better.

I hate cancer! I can't even tell you how much. I am so sorry for your friend. Hopefully the treatment will be effective and she will recover quickly. I am glad you were able to reconnect with her though. Good friends make these types of situations so much better.I am sure the pudding helped too. It looks beautiful.

Boy! a proposal after the "sentence" of cancer is a kick in the butt and a poke in the eye to the "verdict!" He must be one hell of a guy! wonderful wonderful hope in that marriage!

My "Gammy" used to make pudding with me "from scratch" and all in French. It was her way of killing 2 birds with one stone - a french lesson and a yummy treat :) I still make it her way .... but my kids "discovered" jello pudding at the next door neighbor's house (the beginning of corruption?) and they like that one too.

You are all so AMAZING- your love and thoughts encourage me greatly. Thank you!!! (I start chemo on tuesday... ) Thank you- each of you. And yes- my wonderful husband is a miracle. Thank you Mary- you never need to feel bad.... I did not call either.... let's meet in the middle and walk back and forth between houses, okay? Ok, maybe we can go play on the gocart!

Mary, I am so sorry to hear the news about your childhood friend. It was so thoughtful of you to connect with her. I know she feels your connection between the miles and the years that have past. That's such a comfort to her I'm sure. Now to the pudding I say yes, what a comfort pudding is and how beautiful your photos are. I loved making it and even made it again yesterday for a meal I made for a new Mom. She loved the chocolate surprise on the bottom. hehe Beautiful job.AmyRuth